Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The birds take turns being in the front, falling back when they get tired. In fact, a flock of geese can fly 70 percent farther by adopting the V shape rather than flying in isolation.
The second benefit to the V formation is that each bird has an unobstructed field of vision, allowing flock members to see each other and communicate while in flight. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason.
I've always been fascinated by the v-formation flight of the wild geese. While shoveling snow yesterday, a flock flew above us honking loudly.
ReplyDeleteNature has a way to encourage humans to work as a group and cooperate with one another to make any task easier and more productive. We should all take the time to learn a valuable lesson from our animal friends who are much smarter than us in many ways.